A Listen Story: Growing Up in Beirut, Dating at the trenches, and Finding Peace in the Netherlands

The Life Affairs Podcast - echte levensverhalen (EN/NL)

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‘Pablo Escobar’ we name our father, I loved him but I feared him more. My disastrous first date interrupted by a bombing and the clandestine escapades orchestrated by my sister between the trenches of snipers and sand bags shields.

Come, let me take you with me in this story.

Tucked into bed my restless night, unable to sleep, I find myself lost in a flood of memories, each tied to a poignant moment from my past. From my upbringing in war-torn Lebanon to the challenges of parenthood in the present day.

As I gaze out my bedroom window, enveloped in the soft glow of moonlight, memories of my childhood in Beirut come flooding back. "I was born in a war zone, and the war raised me," I reflect, recalling the shared bomb shelters and the sense of community forged amidst the chaos.

Now, in the tranquility of my home in Diemen, the scars of my past linger, juxtaposed against the comforting presence of my husband and children. "Sometimes I don't sleep at night because of these stories".

In the quiet of the night, as I rub my socks against my husband's, I find peace in the knowledge that I have survived. Finally "I am proud of what I've been through"

0:00 Introduction: "It's 11. 30pm. I'm in my bed, not able to sleep"

2:15 Childhood Memories in War: "Before I became Dutch, I grew up between homes and bomb shelters"

6:43 Teenage Years: "As a proud mom, I have the delusion that my kids are telling me everything they do"

11:24 My First Date in a War Zone: "So I answer, very cool. Yes, why don't we meet at 10 in front of the church?"

16:53 Adventures with My Sister: "My sister holds my hand, runs out of the house screaming"

20:18 Reflections on Survival: "I survived. I had fun and it was my life. And I am proud of what I've been through"

23:58 Current Life and Thoughts: "And yeah, somewhere not far away, there is a war today, the Ukraine"

26:07 Conclusion: "And then I look at my husband. I smile, close my eyes, rub my socks against his, and finally fall asleep"

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